Recipe for Samoa Cookies – Caramel Delights

this recipe

Who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookie season? I don’t know about you, but I definitely do! In fact, I even participated in girl scouts all the way through my senior year, earning my gold award. Whether you call them Samoas or Caramel Delights, I’ve got just the copycat recipe for Samoa Cookies that you’ll want to try out!

The recipe has a good amount of steps, but it’s nothing we can’t handle together. Before we jump in let’s run through a few of my top tips to make sure these copycat Caramel Delight cookies are the sweetest treat you make this season!

If you love this copycat recipe, don’t forget to drop your email below so I can send you the rest in the Girl Scout-inspired cookie series!

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Top tips to make this Recipe for Samoa Cookies:

• The smaller the donut cutter you use the more cookies the recipe will yield. 
• For this recipe, I used 3-inch cutters giving me about 12 cookies from these ratios.
• As with most cookie batters, chilling the dough makes it easier to cut out the shapes.
• Make sure to not roll out your cookies too thin, if that happens, it won’t be able to hold the topping and it will break once dipped in chocolate. (This rolling pin is great for making sure you have a consistent thickness in your cookies)
• Patience is a virtue (even in the baking world). If the edges of your cookies aren’t golden after baking the cookies will be too soft for the chocolate.
• Using a candy coating like almond bark has a much smoother texture than if you opt for chocolate chips or candy melts. But never fear if you can’t find almond bark. Go ahead and thin the (other) chocolate (options) by using coconut oil or paramount crystals so it isn’t too heavy and doesn’t cause your cookie to break.
• When you’re adding the delectable finishing touches to the baked cookies, start by dipping the bottom of the cookies in chocolate before adding the coconut. It’s less messy and the chocolate sets really quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When were Somoas first created? 

Somoas were first introduced in the early 1970s (between ‘74-’76 is the great debate). And even though they’re considered one of the newer cookies (the first dates back to the 1930s) they’re still incredibly popular.

Why do some places call these cookies Somoas and others Caramel Delights? 

The difference in the naming of the cookies depends on where you live. Samoas are baked by Little Brownie Bakers and Caramel DeLites are baked by ABC Bakers. So most southern states will be Samoa fans, while up north they love their Caramel Delights.

What is the difference between Caramel Delights and Somoas? 

While these two cookies are nearly identical, one of the biggest differences is that they come from two separate bakers. Caramel Delights have more defined edges, while Somoas are more rounded, also the amount of coconut is different.

Tools and Equipment to Make This Homemade Samoa Cookie Recipe

• Measuring cups, measuring spoons, or kitchen scale
• Microwave-safe mixing bowls
• Spatula
• 1-2 Cookie baking sheets
• Silicone baking mat or parchment paper – have you used parchment paper sheets yet? It’s a dream to use. You will never want to go back to using parchment rolls again!
• Hand or stand mixer
• Donut cutter (2-3 inch) I really like this style because it saves a lot of space when you store it between uses
• Piping Bag, optional

How to make homemade Samoas cookies from scratch

Start off by creaming the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy for about 4 mins.

Then, add the flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla extract.

Mix all the ingredients on medium speed until the dough comes together.

Cover and chill for 30-45 mins, and don’t forget to preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. 

While the cookie dough is chilling, go ahead and place the coconut shreds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast the coconut for 5 minutes. 

Stir on the tray and then continue toasting for 5 more minutes and then allow to cool.

After the chill time for the dough has ended, remove it from the refrigerator and roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.

Cut out the cookies using the doughnut cutter.

Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 mins until the edges are golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool for 10-12 minutes on the baking sheet, then flip them over so that the tops will finish cooling as flat as possible.

Add caramel sauce to the toasted coconut, stir well and set aside.

In a small bowl, melt chocolate almond bark (candy coating or chocolate chips) in the microwave at high power for 30-second increments and stir after each. Keep in mind, if you’re using candy melts or chips, add coconut oil or paramount crystals to thin out the chocolate.

Dip the bottom of the cookie base in chocolate and allow to set for about 15 minutes at room temperature (or pop in the fridge for 5-10 mins for a faster result). 

Flip the cookies over and use the back of a spoon to add caramel first so the shredded coconut has something to stick to.

Chill for 20 minutes and then drizzle melted chocolate over the top of each cookie using a piping bag or spoon. Let the chocolate harden and enjoy!

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Be sure to save this recipe for Samoa Cookies for your next Girl Scout cookie cravings! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board.

If you like these Caramel DeLites Cookies, I would greatly appreciate it if you leave a star rating review in the comment section below 👇! Leaving a comment helps me know what recipes you are loving so I can create more for you!